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Philip L. Spooner Jr.
From Wisconsin State Journal obituary, Jan. 2, 1918

1st Commissioner of Insurance of Wisconsin
In office April 1, 1878 – January 3, 1887
Appointed by	William E. Smith
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Philip Cheek Jr.
18th Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin
In office April 1880 – April 1881
Preceded by	John R. Baltzell
Succeeded by	James Conklin

Personal details
Born	(1847-01-13)January 13, 1847 Lawrenceburg, Indiana, U.S.
Died	January 2, 1918(1918-01-02) (aged 70) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Hill Cemetery, Madison, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican
Relatives	John C. Spooner (brother) Philip L. Spooner (nephew)
Occupation	Insurance agent

Philip Loring Spooner Jr. (January 13, 1847 – January 2, 1918) was an American businessman and Republican politician. He was the first insurance commissioner of the state of Wisconsin and the 18th mayor of Madison, Wisconsin. He was a younger brother of United States senator John Coit Spooner.

Biography

Philip Spooner Jr. was born in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, in January 1847. He moved with his parents to Madison, Wisconsin, in 1859, where he was raised and educated. He attended the University of Wisconsin, but did not graduate.

In 1867 he went into the business as an insurance agent, selling fire and life insurance for Aetna and other insurers. He also became active with the Republican Party of Wisconsin, serving on the Madison city council. He ran for Wisconsin State Assembly in 1875, but was defeated by Liberal Republican William Charlton.

He worked in the insurance business until 1878, when he was appointed to the newly-created position of state insurance commissioner by Governor William E. Smith. He was subsequently re-appointed to another two-year term in 1880. The position changed into a state-wide elected office in 1881, and he was elected to continue in the office in 1881 and 1884. He did not run for another term in 1886.

While serving as insurance commissioner, he was also elected mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, in the Spring of 1880 and served a one year term. In addition to his insurance and political interests, he was the president and major shareholder in Madison Traction Co. He died after a long illness at his home in Madison on January 2, 1918.

Personal life and family

Philip Loring Spooner Jr. was the second-born son of Philip Loring Spooner and his wife Lydia Lord Spooner (née Coit). Philip Spooner Sr. was a prominent lawyer in Madison, clerk of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, and dean of the University of Wisconsin Law School. Philip Jr.'s siblings included John Coit Spooner, who served 16 years as United States senator from Wisconsin, and Roger C. Spooner, who was a chairman of the Republican Party of Dane County.

Philip Spooner Jr. was never married. He shared a home in Madison with his sister and her husband until their deaths.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1875)

Wisconsin Assembly, Dane 2nd District Election, 1875
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, November 2, 1875
	Liberal Republican	William Charlton	1,327	50.44%
	Republican	Philip L. Spooner	1,304	49.56%	+2.52%
Plurality			23	0.87%	-5.04%
Total votes			2,631	100.0%	+0.30%
	Liberal Republican gain from Democratic

Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner (1881, 1884)

Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance Election, 1881
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
General Election, November 8, 1881
	Republican	Philip L. Spooner	85,349	49.85%
	Democratic	Louis Kemper	67,574	39.47%
	Prohibition	Thomas Bracken	11,580	6.76%
	Greenback	Lorenzo Merrill	6,693	3.91%
Plurality			17,775	10.38%
Total votes			171,196	100.0%
	Republican hold

Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance Election, 1884
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, November 4, 1884
	Republican	Philip L. Spooner (incumbent)	162,387	52.87%	+1.22%
	Democratic	Ole S. Holum	144,785	45.54%	+6.07%
	Prohibition	Nelson La Due	6,538	2.06%	−4.71%
	Greenback	J. B. Russell	4,222	1.33%	−2.58%
Plurality			17,602	5.54%	-4.85%
Total votes			317,932	100.0%	+85.71%
	Republican hold

References

"Philip L. Spooner, Jr". Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2011-11-21.
Annual Report of the Commissioner of Insurance of the State of Wisconsin. Department of Insurance. 1916. p. ii.
Warner, Hans B., ed. (1879). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 477. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
^ Keyes, Elisha W. (1906). History of Dane County. Western Historical Association. p. 835–836. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
^ Bashford, R. M., ed. (1876). "Official Directory" (PDF). The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 463. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
^ Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 528. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
^ Heg, J. E., ed. (1885). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 418. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
^ "P. L. Spooner Dead After Long Illness". The Capital Times. January 2, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved February 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Biographical Review of Dane County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Biographical Review Publishing Co. 1893. p. 272–277. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
"P. L. Spooner, ex-Mayor of City, is Dead". Wisconsin State Journal. January 2, 1918. p. 1. Retrieved February 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.

Party political offices
New office created	Republican nominee for Commissioner of Insurance of Wisconsin 1881, 1884	Succeeded byPhilip Cheek Jr.
Political offices
Preceded byJohn R. Baltzell	Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin April 1880 – April 1881	Succeeded byJames Conklin
New office created	Commissioner of Insurance of Wisconsin April 1, 1878 – January 3, 1887	Succeeded byPhilip Cheek Jr.

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